THE North West Counties League gets under way tomorrow and Dany Robson and Nina Haigh have run the rule over the chances of the area's teams

CONFIDENCE is high at Clitheroe following the nine-goal mauling of amateur side Old Blacks in their last pre-season game.

Manager Dave Burgess, who has put his players through a gruelling pre-season schedule which included five games against higher league opposition, arranged the friendly against the Lancashire Amateur League in the hope his side would get a few goals.

"I was hoping we'd boost our confidence and we are all ready for it now," he said.

The Blues have added midfielders Danny Heys and midfielder Andy Taylor and striker Richard Fogarty, from Great Harwood.

They face a tough start to the NWCL Division One season against Kidsgrove at home and will be missing midfielder Carl Greenwood (knee) and captain Barry Hart (foot).

Ramsbottom manager Mike Kelly has a tough job ahead -- choosing the side to play the first game of the season.

Kelly, whose side don't open their Division One campaign until Tuesday when they face Fleetwood, has been delighted with the commitment and attitude of his players in pre-season.

"They have given me a headache, that's for sure," he said.

Ramsbottom have lost Chris Willcock, Mike Smith and Darren Bowman to Rossendale but have brought in striker Aaron Scott from top Northern Counties side Towlar.

Midfielders Andy Walsh (from Curzon Ashton) and Chris Lomas (Salford City), former Reading striker Adam Entwistle, defender Neil Rhodes (Darwen) and midfielder Steve Brennan (Netherfield) have also joined the club.

Kelly has lured 40-year-old defender Mark Thomas out of retirement and goalkeeper Danny Caldwell has been brought through the youth system.

Great Harwood boss Denis Underwood has a new number two who he is hoping will stave off the threat of another relegation battle in Division One.

Former Harwood player John Hughes, who was assistant to Micky Graham at Rossendale, has joined the club as player/coach.

Underwood has lost Andy Taylor and Richard Fogarty to Clitheroe but has taken midfielders Matt Raywood and Jamie Smith from Rossendale. He has also signed Lee Slater from Darwen and, from local football, midfielder Paul Demaine and defender Ady Prestage. He has also re-signed Les Thompson after injury.

Harwood begin the new campaign with a trip to Winsford United, relegated from the UniBond League last season.

Nelson are hoping it's third time lucky after narrowly missing out on promotion from Division Two for the past two years.

It was agony for the Blues last season as they thought they were up only to be denied in the final game of the season when Atherton clinched the second promotion slot.

They have lost exciting young striker Carl Howarth who has stepped up to the UniBond League with Burscough but have kept hold of 20-goal hot shot Kiko Rodriguez.

Boss John Bailey has added strikers Lee Coldridge from Colne, Andy Bannister, (Barnoldswick United), Scott Gilchrist (Bacup) and Dave Gardner (Rossendale).

"We shouldn't have a problem scoring goals," said the boss, who has not yet hung up his boots.

"Next May is a long way off and the main thing now is to get off to a good start against Ashton away. We didn't do that last year, it was a bit jittery."

Padiham are expecting a tougher season than last time out when they were something of a surprise package in Division Two.

Promoted from the West Lancs League, they finished a credible eighth -- nine points behind the second promotion slot.

"I guess we have now lost that element of being an unknown quantity," admitted manager Graham Howarth.

Striker Lee Chambers, who netted 33 times last season, has missed pre-season but is on the comeback trail.

One-time Burnley and Hull striker Dean Stowe has joined the ranks from Burnley United after missing last season through injury but won't be available for the opener at Formby.

Midfielder Robbie Smith, released by Burnley's School of Excellence, has also signed and goalkeeper Terry McGinty has joined as a coach and cover.

Carl Parker and Jason Stubbs, who both broke their legs last season, have come through summer training but Brian Duffey, who also broke his leg, is still recovering.

Darwen boss Steve Wilkes is 'quietly confident' about the new Division Two season -- as long as he can bag himself a centre half.

He has signed midfielders Scott Grundy (from Curzon Ashton) and Craig Shaw (Clitheroe), left winger Denis Hill (Clitheroe), left back Dave Rhodes, a former Preston trainee, and former Clitheroe striker Mark Heys.

He has lost Neil Rhodes (to Ramsbottom), Anthony Keefe (Squires Gate), Scott Derbyshire (Ashton Town) and Lee Slater (Great Harwood).

He has kept hold of last season's NWCL Second Division top scorer Paul Baker, who scored 34 goals, despite Baker's insistence he was quitting at the end of last season.

"If I can get a centre half we'll do alright," said Wilkes, who starts his campaign at home to Blackpool Mechanics.

You need luck to win the league, and Bacup manager Brent Peters is hoping for his fair share this season.

The West View boss reckons he has a starting line-up to match anyone in the Second Division. But his side need to steer clear of injuries.

"We don't have quality in depth but with the first 14 out no one could live with us last season. But we had injury problems, we have to steer clear of injury this season."

Peters has signed midfielder Jason Lanns from Rochdale, Giusseppe Lopiccolo from Bradford City, and midfielder Vinny Pattison from Rossendale but has lost Scott Gilchrist. Jimmy Gemmill, Dave Thomas and Steve Gavin have been released Stuart Walters has decided to look for another club.

They are without a game this weekend.

Colne boss John Lister is hoping to add some experience to his young squad as he hopes to take them away from the lower reaches of Division Two.

Colne, who travel to relegated Leek CSOB tomorrow, finished in the bottom two last term but were re-elected.

Former Blackburn Rovers star Glen Keeley is still at Holt House and Marshall Burke, one time at Turf Moor, has also signed.

Former Clarets trainee and golf professional James Webster, who is the grandson of former Burnley manager Harry Potts and played at Rossendale last season, has also signed.

Shaun Emmett (Chatburn), Gavin Cooper (Bolton Academy) and Dominic Kay, Mark Berry, Phil Long and Carl Gough (all Lancashire Football Academy) have joined the club.

Stand Athletic -- now known as Stand Athetic of Haslingden -- are the newcomers to the NWCL Division Two after winning the Manchester Finnair Premier League for the third year running. They play at Haslingden's old Ewood Bridge ground.

Former Bury and Leigh RMI left back Lee Anderson, ex-Stockport defender Alan Dixon and goalkeeper Tommy Allen from Mossley have all signed and they are hopeful of making a big impact. Stand are at Squires Gate tomorrow.